Iran has successfully enriched uranium for the first time, a landmark in its quest to develop nuclear fuel, hard-line President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Tuesday. He insisted, however, that his country does not aim to develop nuclear weapons.

In a nationally televised speech, Ahmadinejad called on the West "not to cause an everlasting hatred in the hearts of Iranians" by trying to force Iran to abandon uranium enrichment.

"At this historic moment, with the blessings of God almighty and the efforts made by our scientists, I declare here that the laboratory- scale nuclear fuel cycle has been completed and young scientists produced enriched uranium needed to the degree for nuclear power plants Sunday," Ahmadinejad said.

"I formally declare that Iran has joined the club of nuclear countries," he told an audience that included top military commanders and clerics in the northwestern holy city of Mashhad. The crowd broke into cheers of "Allahu akbar!" or "God is great!" Some stood and thrust their fists in the air.

The U.N. Security Council has demanded that Iran stop all uranium enrichment activity by April 28. Iran has rejected the demand, saying it has a right to develop the process. The head of the U.N. nuclear watchdog agency, Mohamed ElBaradei, is due in Iran this week for talks to try to resolve the standoff.

The White House denounced the latest comments from Iranian officials, with spokesman Scott McClellan saying they "continue to show that Iran is moving in the wrong direction."

Ahmadinejad said Iran "relies on the sublime beliefs that lie within the Iranian and Islamic culture. Our nation does not get its strength from nuclear arsenals."

He said Iran wanted to operate its nuclear program under supervision by the International Atomic Energy Agency and within its rights and regulations under the regulations of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.

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"When Ahmadinejad unexpectedly won the presidential elections, he immediately gave $17 million of government funds to the shrine (The more devout believers in Iran pray at the Jamkaran mosque, which houses a well from which, some believe, he (12th Imam) will emerge. Last month Ahmadinejad said publicly that the main mission of the Islamic Revolution is to pave the way for the reappearance of the Twelfth Imam.

And as in some versions of fundamentalist Christianity, the second coming will be accompanied by the usual trials and tribulations, death and destruction. Iranian journalist Hossein Bastani reported Ahmadinejad saying in official meetings that the hidden imam will reappear in two years.

So a Holocaust-denying, virulently anti-Semitic, aspiring genocidist, on the verge of acquiring weapons of the apocalypse, believes that the end is not only near but nearer than the next American presidential election. (Pity the Democrats. They cannot catch a break.) This kind of man would have, to put it gently, less inhibition about starting Armageddon than a normal person. Indeed, with millennial bliss pending, he would have positive incentive to, as they say in Jewish eschatology, hasten the end."

I hate to say this but I almost hope they do get nukes so we can have this out once and for all. Sounds to me like their present leader would be just the man for the apocalyptic scenerio he wants to see come to fruition.

The Washington State Criminal Justice system has let us all down.These views are mine alone and NOT those of SSSC."Get in the kitchen and kitch!" - CavVet "He's lying, we are all complete assholes and R-32 is our leader. - PCR-00

Originally Posted By VTHOKIESHOOTER:I wonder how many boomers we have off the coast of Iran right now.

One or two should be plenty, I would think.

I bet we have more than 2. A few years back Iran bought a dozen or so attack subs from Russia.

There was a thing in the news last week about Iran testing anti-submarine missles.

The Washington State Criminal Justice system has let us all down.These views are mine alone and NOT those of SSSC."Get in the kitchen and kitch!" - CavVet "He's lying, we are all complete assholes and R-32 is our leader. - PCR-00

Originally Posted By dolanp:If only we had saved our strength for a real fight instead of expended our forces to 'spread democracy'.

+ 1

But if you look at what we "control" after 5 years of war, we have Iran surrounded(A guy I used to work with pointed this out last year). Some might even say Afgan and Iraq war was just part of the over all showdown with Iran.

Maybe the Israelies will launch their fighters and take Iran out. Iran might strike back at Israel, but my Nietzschean tendencies say "Better them than US"

Originally Posted By John_Wayne777:Nevertheless, it does put that whole "peaceful purposes" bullsh*t the libbies have been hiding behind for years to rest, doesn't it?

No it doesn't. Enriched uranium is used in nuclear power generation as well as nuclear weapons.

Didn't the Russkies offer to enrich uranium for Iran so they could use it in reactors and not weapons(weapons grade and reactor grade are not the same). I beleive Iran rejected that offer. Why would you rejected enrich uranium for your reactors if your only purpose is for the peaceful production of nuclear engery?

Originally Posted By John_Wayne777:Nevertheless, it does put that whole "peaceful purposes" bullsh*t the libbies have been hiding behind for years to rest, doesn't it?

No it doesn't. Enriched uranium is used in nuclear power generation as well as nuclear weapons.

Keep telling yourself that...

Wow, that was a witty retort. Take long to come up with it?

Here are some facts. Enriched uranium is used in power generation and nuclear weapons. Claiming production of enriched uranium doesn't prove anything about a weapons program or put to rest Iran's position that their program is for "peaceful purposes." If evidence of highly enriched uranium is found you have proof of intent to build nuclear weapons.

Originally Posted By VTHOKIESHOOTER:I wonder how many boomers we have off the coast of Iran right now.

All it would take is one. Each sub carries enough canned sunshine to completely obliterate the nation of Iran several times over.

I am about to the point of advocating we vacate the entire ME and unleash enough canned sunshine to make a parking lot of the whole ME.

We will always remember. We will always be proud. We will always be prepared, so we may always be free ~ Ronald ReaganNever has so much been owed to so few by so many ~ ChurchillTolerance is the virtue of a man without convictions